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Friday, January 14, 2011

Book Review: Prophetic Statements on Food Storage for Latter-day Saints

Prophetic Statements on Food Storage for Latter-day Saints by Neil H. Leash was recommended to me by a co-worker. I believe that food storage is a good idea whether you are of my faith or not. It just makes sense. Food storage is insurance against whatever life has in store. There is not a crisis I can think of that can't be made a little less stressful by being prepared and having some food and money set aside. The world we live in has many dangers and uncertainties, but if we are prepared we shall not fear.
If you are a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, this book is a wake-up call. Our prophets have been telling us for 165 years that we need to prepare and set food aside. A man who we believe communicates with the Lord Almighty has implored us to prepare our homes and our families for possible disaster by storing food and putting our homes in order. It would be to our great benefit if we listened to these words of wisdom and warning.
The saints in Nauvoo were warned to accumulate food and supplies a long time before they were driven from Illinois. Those who did not prepare suffered greatly. When they arrived in Utah they were again counseled to set aside a years supply of grain. Those who followed this council faired much better when plagues of crickets and grasshoppers destroyed their crops. Preceding the US Civil War, WWI, the Great Depression and WWII, prophets counseled members of the Church to store a few years worth of grain, and for those looking back there were obvious reasons for this. After these major events the prophets continued to repeat their advise to store what would be necessary to get by for a year. Now I don't feel that this is the place to wax on disasters and catastrophes that will come with the Second Coming, but I do believe that at some point Christ will come again and it has been prophesied in the Bible that before His coming there will be many great wars and disasters. And given this information it would be a really good idea to do what we can to prepare.
Now no one can argue that I am not a proponent of food storage, in fact I am border-line obsessed. My neighbors, friends, family and co-workers know this about me. I'm ok with it. I use food storage on a very regular basis and try all kinds of experiments. So while I do make good use of my food storage, I haven't really been storing much lately. Since my husband started school again there has been this thought hanging in the background that there is a strong possibility that we will have to move when he is done for whatever job he may acquire and I am very much not interested in accumulating more stuff just so I can move it somewhere. This book however has really instilled an urgency in me that Ineed to prepare. If there were a crisis I don't think the cosmos would leave me exempt from disaster in fact I have a reputation for drawing more than my share of random chaos from the cosmos because my husband is a college student and it wasn't convenient for me to store a years supply of food. This does not mean that anyone should store more than they are able, but it did make me decide that every week I am going to do something to make my family better prepared. Yes, storing food can be a bit of a sacrifice, but if we show faith and obedience we will be blessed with the peace of mind that comes from preparedness.

Here are some of my favorite quotes from this book:When the words of prophets seem repetitive, that should rivet our attention and fill our hearts with gratitude to live in such a blessed time. --Henry B. Eyring, April 1997

I feel to exhort the brethren, and say to them---lay up bread, do not sell it for a song; let your wives and daughters go for awhile without ribbons and ornaments, let your wheat stay in your bins; let us try to get along with old coats and old hats and keep the wheat, and in a little while you will see the reason why this counsel has been given. Lay up your wheat and other provisions against a day of need, for the day will come when they will be wanted and no mistake about it.--Wilford Woodruff, 1875

More than ever before, we need to learn and apply the principles of economic self-reliance. We do not know when the crisis involving sickness or unemployment may affect our own circumstances. We do know that the Lord has decreed global calamities for the future and has warned and forewarned us to be prepared. For this reason the Brethren have repeatedly stressed a “back to basics” program for temporal and spiritual welfare.--Ezra T. Benson, October 1980

First, gain an adequate education. Learn a trade or a profession. Second, live strictly within your income and save something for a rainy day. Third, avoid excessive debt. Fourth, acquire and store a reserve of food and supplies that will sustain life.I would guess that the years of plenty have almost universally caused us to set aside this counsel. I believe the time to disregard this counsel is over. With events in the world today, it must be considered with all seriousness.--L. Tom Perry, November 1995

Family Preparedness is the key to meeting the needs of family members and is the foundation upon which church preparedness is based.--Victor L. Brown, May 1976

Members should be taught to provide for themselves and their families. That is the Lord's way. When they are caring for their own they are in a better position to help others as the Gospel requires.--Joseph B. Wirthlin, 1988

The Church can not be expected to provide for every one of its millions of members in case of public or personal disaster. It is therefore necessary that each home and family do what they can to resume responsibility for their own hour of need.--James E. Faust, May 1986

You have smart women for wives...We have talented women among us and we need their help in this matter. Some may think it is a trifling thing, but it is not; and you will find that the sisters will be the mainspring of this movement. Give them the benefit of your wisdom and experience, give them your influence, guide and direct them wisely and well, and they will find rooms for the poor, and obtain means for supporting them ten times quicker than even the Bishop could.--Brigham Young, December 1867

Let's do these things because they are right, because they are satisfying and because we are obedient to the counsels of the Lord. In this spirit we will be prepared for most eventualities and the Lord will prosper and comfort us. It is true difficult times will come-- because the Lord has foretold them.--Spencer W. Kimball, November 1977

The revelation to produce and store food may be as essential to our temporal welfare as boarding the ark was for people in the days of Noah.-- Ezra T. Benson

This book convinced me that becoming prepared is a priority. It was written in 1999, and if it was urgent to gather food storage then, it is even more urgent twelve years later. For anyone who decides to read it, I will say that the first half is a little dry, but keep reading, it becomes more interesting and compelling. This book made me want to accost every family member, friend, neighbor and acquaintance and make sure that they are doing something about food storage. It can not be denied that there are some crazy things going on this world, and the state of affairs could go south quickly if we are not prepared. I would feel better knowing the ones that I love are actively preparing for a possible crisis by having at least a little food set aside.